In vivo grafting procedures have been successfully performed for some time, and have become commonly utilized, particularly in orthopedic procedures. In many of such grafting procedures, a graft segment is harvested from another portion of the patient's body, and utilized to repair or replace damaged ligaments, tendons, or the like. The graft segment is typically attached in some fashion to at least one fixed structure within the body, such as a bone. In particular, the implanted graft segment may take the place of the damaged soft tissue, most commonly by connecting between adjacent bones or between muscle tissue and an adjacent bone. In other procedures, however, such grafted segments are utilized to supplant damaged ligaments, tendons, etc., wherein the implanted graft segment is surgically affixed to a portion of the damaged soft tissue. A vast array of other grafting procedures are commonly performed in the medical field today, and are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention.
Graft implantation procedures typically utilize an anchoring device to secure the graft segment to one or more fixed structures in vivo. Such anchoring devices act to secure respective graft segments to fixed structures such as bones by being surgically affixed to such structures while operably grasping the graft segment. In preferred procedures, the anchoring device is configured to operably grasp a suture which is surgically connected to the respective graft segment.
A variety of anchoring device configurations have been utilized in procedures requiring the securement of graft material or other soft tissue to adjacent fixed structures. The devices proposed and utilized to date, however, have drawbacks associated with their design or implementation in vivo. In particular, systems and devices in use today for anchoring such graft segments introduce unnecessary complexities and difficulties during a surgical grafting procedure. For example, currently used interference screws which bias a graft segment or suture therefore against a wall of a channel bored into or through a respective fixed structure introduce a risk of damaging or severing the graft and/or suture used to secure the graft material to the anchoring structure. Such damage or severing can result in surgical failure. Other known anchoring devices require specialized operating room equipment, and do not provide adequate error tolerances in their application.
A particular deficiency in current devices is the failure to provide a means for readily altering the suture length or tension in vivo to thereby optimize graft material fit during the surgical process. In such a manner, it is desired to simplify and enhance consistency in grafting procedures.
It is therefore a principle object of the present invention to provide a means for easily and reliably securing graft segments to fixed structures in vivo.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a graft anchoring means which expedites the graft fixation process so as to reduce overall operating room time necessary.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a graft anchoring means which is specifically configured to securely and automatically grasp a graft suture in vivo without damage thereto.
It is still further object of the present invention to provide a means for optimizing graft tension during the surgical process.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a graft anchoring means which allows for readily altering graft suture length and/or tension in vivo.